Page:Honore Willsie--Judith of the godless valley.djvu/259

 love is the most powerful force in the world? Mind you, Doug, I make a sharp distinction between love and lust. Lust can be controlled by any one. Love can be controlled by a man as old as I am. But when love grips a young fellow like you, he is powerless to throw it off, I'd be a cur, Douglas, at my age, to refuse to throttle a love that would conflict wiih you—the man I like best in the world."

He paused, Douglas did not stir. Peter, lifted his pipe, laid it down, and set a matcth carefully beside it.

"Douglas," he said, "my market is made. I sold my birthright for a mess of pottage. Whatever regrets or grief I may have are just. To contemplate a  a girl like Judith having any interest in  me, is ghastly. Judith is yours, whether she realizes it or not. Wil1 you stay for dinner?"

He put his pipe in his mouth and lighted it. Douglas gave a long, uncertain sigh.

"No thanks, Peter! I must get back to my sky pilot. You will be at the log chapel early on Sunday?"

"Yes. But you'd better let him handle the _meeting. Have him preach on immortality. You've sort  of got them going on that."

Douglas nodded, put his hand on the door knob, then turned back.

"Peter, does life never finish with a man? Don't you find peace anywhere along the line?"

"Not your kind of a man. There are a number of sure springs in the desert, though, where a man can be certain of a mighty pleasant camp. But it's only a camp."

Douglas moistened his lips. "What can a  fellow do about it?" he demanded.

"Well," replied the older man, "he can make up his